SHOCKING: The photo of the baby bound with tape was uploaded to Facebook

The photo was posted earlier this month on the social media profile of a woman said to be the mother of the child, Rosa Margarita Pichardo Sotelo.

The woman was apparently unaware that her profile was set to public when she posted the image – resulting in the photo being quickly shared among outraged Facebook users before eventually being published in local media.

The photo shows Rosa's son Gerardo lying on a sofa with his hands clasped and bound by tape.

There is also tape across his mouth.

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FAMILY: Rosa, pictured, with her two kids

“I uploaded this photo but it is not as it seems”

Mum, Rosa

The mum deleted the photo and wrote on Facebook that someone who "dislikes" her must have shared it.

Rosa wrote: "My children are alright and this photo was shared to the world by someone who dislikes me.

"I uploaded this photo but it is not as it seems, because we were playing around and my whole family was with me, so it was nothing sinister.

"It hurts this got published because it is a lie. It hurts that this exposes my baby."

Rosa and her husband, Alfredo Alexander Ramos Castaneda, from Tijuana, Mexico, are under investigation by the Agency of the Public Ministry and Sexual Offences.

Officials told local media that Gerardo and their second under-aged son will undergo psychological assessments.